Radio România Internațional

Tag: May Day

May 1, 2023

MAY DAY – The Romanian Black Sea coast was the favorite destination
of Romanians for the May Day mini-holiday celebrating Labor Day. Over 75,000
tourists celebrated this holiday on the seacoast, also attending various music
and gastronomy festivals in the resorts of Costinești, Mamaia, Constanța or
Vama Veche. Music festivals are scheduled to end on May 3. Many Romanians also
chose to spend the holiday on Prahova Valley or in the Danube Delta, spending
their time outdoors for picnics or barbecues. Over 400 festivals, concerts,
trade fairs and sports competitions took place over the May Day long weekend
across the country. The Interior Ministry mobilized some 24,000 police
officers, gendarmes and firefighters across the country to prevent and combat
crime, fluidize road traffic and reduce waiting times at border checkpoints as
well as to ensure order and safety in various public events. The Border Police
also took measures to optimize customs procedures and reduce waiting times, with
a focus on crossing points on the Hungarian and Bulgarian borders.

EXHIBITION – The Communism Remembrance Museum in Brașov (central
Romania) is hosting the temporary exhibition dubbed May 1 – A Workers’
Holiday. The exhibition displays a collection of photos and items recalling
the way Labor Day used to be celebrated in the past, when it was one of the
major holidays marked by communist authorities. Images capture snapshots of
parades, pageants as well as the crowds attending the events marking this
holiday prior to 1989. Also on show are various banners displayed by workers
during these rallies. Organizers want the exhibition to make a thought-provoking
comparison with the way May 1 is celebrated today, when Romanians usually relax
outdoors alongside their families and friends. The temporary exhibition stays
open until May 31.

ASSISTANCE – Starting May 1 the government in Bucharest has changed
the manner of providing financial assistance to Ukrainian refugees. Under the
new regulations, the money will be wired to refugees directly instead of the
families hosting them. The refugees will benefit from unconditional support for
a month, while over the next three months they will have to find employment and
enroll their children in schooling units, if they want to remain eligible for
assistance starting the fifth month.

MILK – Shelf prices for milk are expected to drop by 20% starting
May 1, according to an agreement stipulating that processors and traders must
apply a 10% reduction each if the price exceeds €1.4 per liter. The agreement
will remain in place for the next six months, while all large trade networks
have agreed to sign. However, it may take a few months before the measure is
applied in all stores. Competition Council president Bogdan Chirițoiu said
contracts must be renegotiated with each producer while existing stocks must
first be depleted.

HANDBALL – The Romanian men’s handball team has secured
qualification to the EHF EURO 2024 European Championship despite losing to
Ukraine 31-26 on Sunday in Germany in the final match of the Group 4
preliminaries. Romania last qualified to the European championship in 1996. In
the other group fixture, Austria defeated the Faeroe Islands. Austria ranked
first in the group tables, followed by Romania, the Faeroe Islands and Ukraine.
The top two teams in each preliminary group qualify to the final tournament,
alongside four of the third best-place teams. The 2024 European Championship
will be hosted by Germany over January 10 – 28, 2024. In news from women’s
handball, both Rapid Bucharest and CSM Bucharest lost in the first leg of the
Champions League quarterfinals. (VP)

1 May 2023
April 29, 2023

EU — The European Union has decided to extend for another year the suspension of import duties and quotas on Ukrainian exports, so as to support its economy during the war started by Russia. The announcement was made by Sweden, which holds the rotating presidency of the community bloc. We recall that the suspension of these taxes generated discontent among farmers in several countries, culminating with the ban, at the beginning of this month, on cereals imports from Ukraine by Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. The European Commission has now proposed paying compensations to farmers in five countries bordering Ukraine, including Romania, and allowing these countries to ban the sale of certain Ukrainian grains on their domestic markets. But, the five countries must continue to allow the transit of Ukrainian agricultural products, so that they can be sold in other regions.

Congress — The representatives of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (part of the governing coalition) are electing on Saturday, on the second day of the congress held in Timisoara (west), their president for the next 4 years. The only candidate is the current leader of the party, Kelemen Hunor, who wants to keep his party in the governing coalition. He said that the big challenge of his mandate will be maintaining one round in the local elections. According to Kelemen Hunor, a strategic document will also be adopted at the congress that will show the priorities of Romania and of the Hungarian community for the coming years in the economic, social, political and rights-of-national-minorities fields. Attending the Ethnic Hungarians’ congress, the leaders of National Liberal Party and of the Social Democratic Party (the main parties of the three-party coalition), namely the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Marcel Ciolacu, respectively, expressed their support for continuing their partnership with the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, saying that they were a pole of stability and professionalism within the coalition.

May Day – Over 400 festivals, concerts, trade fairs and sports competitions are scheduled to take place over the May Day long weekend, and over 70,000 people are expected to travel to the Black Sea Coast on this occasion. Romanians also chose to spend the May 1st mini-holiday in the Danube Delta and in the Prahova Valley mountain resorts. The number of hotel reservations across Romania is 4 times higher this year than in 2022, show data from a hotel platform. The Interior Ministry announced that some 24,000 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters will be on duty across the country to prevent and combat crime, fluidize road traffic and reduce waiting times at border checkpoints as well as to ensure order and safety at various public events. The Border Police has also taken measures to optimize customs procedures and reduce waiting times, with a focus on the crossing points on the Hungarian and Bulgarian borders.

Budget — Romanias state budget registered a deficit of 1.42% of the gross domestic product, i.e. 22.75 billion lei (about 4.6 billion Euros) in the first three months of 2023, the Romanian Finance Ministry announced. The loss was mainly caused by the increase in the volume of investments by 56.5% compared to the same period of the previous year and the compensation of bills related to the consumption of electricity and natural gas for domestic and non-domestic customers in the amount of 2.5 billion lei (about 500 million Euros). Other factors that contributed to the deficit were the higher volume of reimbursements of goods and services for medicines, the slowing down of the fees and taxes collection rate as well as the implementation of the second stage of the Support Program for Romania. Last year, the state budget registered, in the same period, a deficit of 15.7 billion lei (about 3.1 billion Euros).

Green House — Next week Romania sees the start of the “Green House” program, through which the state offers financing to individuals for the installation of solar panels. For now, both the producing companies and the potential beneficiaries have at their disposal the application guide of the program, which was issued on Friday. To register, those who wish to install solar panels must enter an application on the website of the Environment Agency. The funding remains the same as last year – 20,000 lei per person (approx. 4,000 Euros), accounting for 90% of the expenses. The Romanian authorities propose to double the budget allocated to this program this year and thus reach 150,000 systems installed in 2023. (LS)

29 April 2023
April 28, 2023 UPDATE

EU — The European Union has decided to extend for another year the suspension of customs duties and quotas on imports from Ukraine, so as to support its economy during the war started by Russia. The announcement was made by Sweden, which holds the rotating presidency of the community bloc. We recall that the suspension of these taxes generated dissatisfaction among farmers in several countries, culminating with the prohibition, at the beginning of this month, of cereals imports from Ukraine by Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. The European Commission has now proposed paying compensations to farmers in five countries bordering Ukraine, including Romania, and allowing these countries to ban the sale of certain Ukrainian grains on their domestic markets. But, the five countries must continue to allow the transit of Ukrainian agricultural products, so that they can be sold in other regions.

Congress — The representatives of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (part of the governing coalition) held a congress in Timisoara (west). The current leader of the party, the Deputy Prime Minister Kelemen Hunor, is running for a new presidential mandate. According to him, a strategic document will also be adopted during the congress that will show the priorities of Romania and of the Hungarian community for the coming years in the economic, social, political and rights-of-national-minorities fields. The Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania wants to remain in the government also after the change of the prime minister, scheduled for the end of May, said Kelemen Hunor, who received assurances in this regard. The leaders of National Liberal Party and of the Social Democratic Party (the main parties of the three-party coalition), the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Marcel Ciolacu, respectively, also took the floor at the congress.

May Day – Over 400 festivals, concerts, trade fairs and sports competitions are scheduled to take place over the May Day long weekend. Over 70,000 people are expected to travel to the Black Sea coast on this occasion. Some 24,000 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters will be on duty across the country to prevent and combat crime, fluidize road traffic and reduce waiting times at border checkpoints as well as to ensure order and safety at various public events, the Interior Ministry reports. The Border Police has also taken measures to optimize customs procedures and reduce waiting times, with a focus on the crossing points on the Hungarian and Bulgarian borders.

Schengen — Romanias accession to Schengen, the European free travel area, could be debated at the end of September, when the first meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council is scheduled under the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Romanian Interior Minister Lucian Bode announced. He showed that, until the end of June, under the presidency of Sweden, the accession file of Romania and Bulgaria has no chance to be on the agenda of the JHA Council. “Spain stated, through the Interior Minister Marlaska, both in Bucharest and in Vienna, a few days ago, that it will put on the agenda of its presidency the file of Romania’s and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession. So (…) we put our hope in the Spanish presidency. The Spanish presidency will decide, depending on the discussions and the conclusions it will reach in its approach with Austria, whether this will happen in September or in October, November, December,” said minister Bode. In December 2022, Austria blocked Romanias Schengen candidacy, claiming that our country is part of the Balkan route of illegal migration. The accusation was rejected by the Romanian authorities and officially denied by the European institutions.

Budget — Romanias state budget registered a deficit of 1.42% of the gross domestic product, i.e. 22.75 billion lei, in the first three months of 2023, the Romanian Finance Ministry announced. The loss was mainly caused by the increase in the volume of investments by 56.5% compared to the same period of the previous year and the compensation of bills related to the consumption of electricity and natural gas for domestic and non-domestic customers in the amount of 2.5 billion lei. Other factors that contributed to the deficit were the higher volume of reimbursements of goods and services for medicines, the slowing down of the fees and taxes collection rate as well as the implementation of the second stage of the Support Program for Romania. Last year, the state budget registered, in the same period, a deficit of 15.7 billion lei.

Literacy – The degree of literacy for Romanian students between the ages of 6 and 14 is low, only 11% of them being in the “functional” area, shows the 2023 edition of the National Literacy Report. According to the document, made by the standardized test platform for students brio.ro, together with seven other non-profit organizations in the field of education, the results are similar to those of last year, without notable changes. “There are 42% functionally illiterate children, 47% minimally literate and only 11% are functional. The school system does nothing to help them, children enter school non-functional and after eight years the non-functional percentage drops by only 1.5%. Almost everything children learn in school is rote learning. Children are not able to interpret the texts they read and fail to make logical inferences about the texts, consequently they will be virtually unable to interact with any type of text,” the executive director of the brio.ro platform, Gabi Barctic said. Literacy skills reflect a persons ability to relate to a text. The competent reader understands and interprets the text even at a first careful reading, uses the information in it and interacts with it to achieve their goals. (LS)

28 April 2023
April 28, 2023

MAY DAY – Over 400 festivals,
concerts, trade fairs and sports competitions are scheduled to take place over
the May Day long weekend. Over 70,000 people are expected to travel to the
Black Sea coast on this occasion. Some 24,000 police officers, gendarmes and
firefighters will be on duty across the country to prevent and combat crime,
fluidize road traffic and reduce waiting times at border checkpoints as well as
to ensure order and safety in various public events, the Interior Ministry
reports. The Border Police has also taken measures to optimize customs
procedures and reduce waiting times, with a focus on crossing points on the
Hungarian and Bulgarian borders.

VETERANS – On Veterans Day, the
Romanian Defense Ministry today organized a military and religious ceremony,
attended by Defense Minister Angel Tîlvăr and Chief of Defense Staff, General Daniel
Petrescu. Similar ceremonies were held at home and abroad, in cemeteries and
monuments paying homage to the sacrifice of veterans. Over 900,000 people
perished, disappeared, were taken prisoner, were wounded or were left crippled
at the end of WWII. The Romanian Army continued to fight after Romania was
liberated, helping drive away the German army from Hungary and Czechoslovakia.
In total, over 540,000 servicemen were deployed to the frontline, of whom
90,000 were killed, nearly 60,000 went missing and over 330,000 were wounded.

UDMR – The Democratic Union of
Ethnic Hungarians in Romania is today convening in Timișoara to elect their its president. The acting president, Kelemen
Hunor, who is running for a new term, says the congress will also adopt a
strategic document outlining the priorities of Romania and the Hungarian
community in the economic, social, political, and minority rights over the
coming years. The leaders of PNL and PSD, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă and Chamber of Deputies
Speaker, Marcel Ciolacu, are also expected to attend.

ARREST – Former Romanian deputy
Cristian Rizea was extradited by the Republic of Moldova after being declared persona non-grata for a 15-year period.
Rizea was detained by Romanian law enforcement and transferred to a
penitentiary, where he will serve a sentence of 4 years and 8 months. The former
MP had been wanted by Romanian authorities after fleeing the country to evade a
2019 prison sentence for influence peddling, money laundering and influencing
official statements.

GROWTH – The assessments
conducted by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the European
Central Bank show that Romania will report an economic growth this year as
well, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă says. Under these circumstances, an IMF bailout
package is not under discussion, the Prime Minister said. Previously, the
former Liberal Finance Minister, Florin Cîțu,
had written on social media that PSD wants to strike an agreement with the IMF
and the World Bank, which would suggest the country is on the brink. The
statement follows discussions about the government’s plans to adopt an
emergency decree cutting public spending. Government officials say the move
would not impact salaries and investment.

MEDIA – The situation of the
Romanian media is not very rosy, and the country should show progress in this
respect in the rule of law report this year, the European Commission
vice-president for values and transparency Věra Jourová said in Brussels. The
2022 rule of law report of the European Commission states that the Romanian
media faces a wide array of issues, such as the lack of transparency in terms
of media ownership and rising numbers of threats and cases of harassment and
violence against journalists.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player
Irina Begu on Thursday advanced to the third round of the WTA 1000 tournament
in Madrid, totalling over €7.7 million. In the second round, Begu knocked out
Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in straight sets. The Romanian player
will next take on Shelby Rogers of the United States. Also on Thursday, another
two Romanian players, Sorana Cîrstea and Ana Bogdan, were eliminated. In the women’s singles today,
Jaqueline Cristian will play Anastasia Potapova of Russia. (VP)

28 April 2023
May 1, 2022

WAR IN UKRAINE – Over 20 civilians,
including six children, were evacuated from the Azovstal steelworks in
Mariupol, after the venue was sieged for weeks on end by Russian forces. The group
of people was transferred to a location commonly agreed upon with the Russian
side, in the hope of reaching Kyiv-controlled territory, Ukrainian soldiers
trapped inside claim. Moscow faced immense international pressure to allow
civilians to evacuate, although all previous attempts to do so were
unsuccessful. The full occupation of the port-city is one of the Russian army’s
strategic objectives. Holding Mariupol would help Russia occupy the entire
Ukrainian southern coast, and would link the separatist region of Donbas to the
Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014. At the same time, Russia presses
on its offense in Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of
seeking to wipe the entire region off the map. Meanwhile, French president
Emmanuel Macron has confirmed his willingness to provide certain security guarantees
to Ukraine. Macron talked to his Ukrainian counterpart over the phone on
Saturday. The French president expressed his readiness to work hard to restore
Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Also on Sunday, president
Zelensky met in Kyiv with the the US House of Representatives Speaker, Nancy
Pelosi. We believe that we are visiting you to say thank you for your fight
for freedom… Our commitment is to be there for you until the fight is
done, Pelosi told Zelensky, according to a video tweeted by the Ukrainian
presidency.

CYBER
ATTACKS – The
Romanian Intelligence Service warns against possible ransomware attacks on a
large scale, targeting the email addresses of institutions in Romania. The
Service recommended people not to click on links or attachments that are not
usually addressed to them or were sent by unknown sources. The same
precautionary measures are recommended in the case of text, WhatsApp, Signal or
Telegram messages. A wave of cyber-attacks started in Romania on Friday,
hackers targeting the website of the National Cyber Security Directorate, as
well as other public institutions and private organizations. Claimed by the
Killnet network of hackers, the operation came in response to Romania’s support
for Ukraine. This month Killnet hackers attacked the websites of institutions
in a number of states as well as NATO.

MAY
DAY – In
Romania, May Day on Sunday marked the International Workers’ Day, when people
usually go out on mini-holidays or choose to spend time out with their
families. Some 30,000 tourists traded the traditional day out barbequing or
camping for a trip to the seacoast, on what the authorities call the start the
summer season. The most crowded seacoast resorts were Vama Veche, Mamaia and Costinești,
which hosted music festivals and parties. Some Romanians went to mountain
resorts on Prahova Valley, while in Bucharest the authorities closed down
streets to road traffic, turning them into pedestrian areas. In France, the
International Workers’ Day was the first test of the reelected president,
Emmanuel Macron, a day when trade unionists traditionally take to the streets
to voice their demands. Some 300 such events were announced on Sunday.

CONFERENCE – The Conference for the
future of Europe, a broad citizen initiative launched a year ago, resulted in
over 300 proposals being tabled for the reform of the European Union. The
proposals were adopted on Saturday during a plenary sitting in the European
Parliament. Drafted by over 50,000 participants, the proposals were
uploaded on an online platform available in 24 languages, which remains open
until May 9. Despite a late start in negotiations between the three European
institutions – the European Union, the Council of the European Union and the
European Parliament, as well as due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Conference
completed its activity before the end of France’s term at the helm of the
Council of the European Union. Nearly a year since the launch ceremony hosted
by Strasbourg, the Conference will officially end on May 9 in an event at the
European Parliament, marking Europe Day The final report, which is expected to
undergo certain changes in addition to the recommendations adopted on Saturday,
will be submitted to the presidents of the three European institutions, as well
as to French president, Emmanuel Macron.

COVID-19 – Chinese
authorities are tightening anti-COVID restrictions in the capital Beijing,
where citizens must present a negative test for COVID-19 in order to access
public spaces. Proof of COVID testing is also required to use public
transportation starting May 5. The new restrictions will remain in place
indefinitely, at a time when the Chinese capital city was entering a five-day
holiday period. China is facing a resurge of COVID infection and remains
committed to fully eradicating the virus. The harshest measures were introduced
in Shanghai, which is currently on lockdown. Confined to their homes, citizens
face great difficulties in getting supplies.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis
player Simona Halep has advanced to the round of 16 at the Mutua Madrid Open,
totaling some $6.5 million in total prizes, after ousting Paula Badosa, world
no. 2, in the round of 32. In the next round, Halep will take on Cori Gauff of
the USA. A former world no. 1, Halep won the Madrid Open in 2016 and 2017 and
played the final in 2014 and 2019. (VP)

1 May 2022
April 30, 2022 UPDATE

WAR IN
UKRAINE -
Peace talks with Russia risk failing, Ukraine has warned, after Russian troops
continued to bomb positions on the Donbas frontline. Ukraine’s president,
Volodymyr Zelensky, explained the people are furious with the discovery of war
crimes and atrocities committed by the Russian army. Over 1,000 civilians were
found dead after the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Kyiv oblast, many of
whom appear to have been summarily executed. They add to the thousands of
civilians killed in Russian shelling targeting civilian objectives, including
homes, hospitals, schools and cultural centers. In other news, the Russian
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, said peace negotiations continue,
although with great difficulty. Russia is confronted with considerable
challenges and was forced to regroup and reorganize its exhausted and
scattered forces following its failed attempts at advancing in northeastern
Ukraine, the British Defense Ministry writes.

REFUGEES – The number of
Ukrainian refugees who entered Romania went down on Friday by 2.6% compared to
the previous day, the Border Police Inspectorate announced on Saturday.
According to an official news release, on April 29, over the course of 24
hours, some 96 thousand people entered Romania through all border crossing
points, of whom some 8 thousand were Ukrainian citizens. 4,651 Ukrainians
entered Romania through the Ukrainian border and another 1,731 through the
Moldovan border. Since the start of the war in neighboring Ukraine, a total of
818 thousand Ukrainian citizens entered Romania, most of whom were en route to
other Western countries.

FERRY CROSSING – A new ferry
crossing checkpoint will be opened on the Giurgiu-Ruse border following an
agreement signed by Romania and Bulgaria. According to the document, the ferry
checkpoint will remain open for passengers and vehicles with a maximum
authorized mass of 40 tons, and is expected to become operational starting this
autumn. The agreement was signed in Bucharest on Friday, during the visit of
Buglarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov. The Bulgarian official met with his
counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă, as well as with
president Klaus Iohannis. Attending Romanian-Bulgarian talks was also EU
Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, who said Brussels is ready to support
joint Romanian-Bulgarian projects. The EU official highlighted the importance
of the Danube River for river traffic in Europe, saying its potential can be
further tapped into. Apart from joint transport projects, the two delegations
also tackled the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism and the two countries’
Schengen Accession.

CYBER ATTACKS – A wave of
cyber-attacks hit Romania on Friday and Saturday. The websites of the
government, the National Cyber Security Directorate, the Defense Ministry, the
Border Police, the National Rail Company and certain commercial banks were taken
down. The attack was claimed by the pro-Russian hacker network Killnet, in
response to Romania’s support actions for Ukraine. Killnet hackers this month
also attacked institutions in Estonia, Poland, the Czech Republic, the United
States, as well as NATO websites. Experts say this was a DDoS attack, which is
a malicious attempt to flood a network or an online service with HTTP requests,
thus rendering them unavailable to their users.

ENERGY – Average
electricity prices for household users at EU level went up significantly in the
second half of 2021, compared to the same period of 2020. Romania was one of
the countries with the highest price hikes in the national currency, the
Eurostat reports. According to the European Statistics Office, electricity
prices went up across the European bloc, with the exception of Slovakia and
Hungary, where prices were regulated. The highest increase, of nearly 50%, was
reported in Estonia and Sweden. Other states that reported major increases in
electricity prices were Cyprus and Latvia, between 30% and 40%. Romania,
alongside Ireland, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Belgium, increased electricity
prices by as much as 20%. The lowest electricity prices were signaled in
Hungary, Bulgaria and Croatia, while the highest were in Denmark, Germany and
Belgium. Last year, household users in the EU paid more for natural gas as
well, Bulgaria, Greece and Estonia reporting the biggest increases, while
natural gas prices went down only in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Portugal.

ARMY – Military
ceremonies are being held across the country, jointly with concerts and
competitions marking Land Forces Day. In Bucharest, the main event was held at
the headquarters of the Land Forces, where state officials, active and reserve
military, foreign diplomats and troops from allied countries attended the
military and religious ceremony. Chief of General Staff, General Daniel
Petrescu pointed out Romania must remain a pivotal provider of security and
stability in the region, both in terms of its defense capabilities, as well as
at Euro-Atlantic level.

COVID-19 – Under 900 news
cases of COVID-19 infection and 8 related deaths were reported on Saturday in
Romania. Most were signaled in Bucharest, a little over 200. The number of
patients treated in hospitals also dropped to 1,150, of whom 63 are children.
200 people are currently in intensive care.

MAY DAY – The summer
season official started on Saturday, when hotels and guesthouses opened their
doors to the public. Accommodation units on the Romanian Black Seacoast are
booked at 80% capacity, hotel owners expecting some 30,000 tourists to arrive
in order to celebrate May 1, the International Labor Day. Costinești and Mamai Nord are hosting music festivals which are expected to
bring in a large number of young people. Authorities have deployed additional
security forces to ensure public order is observed in crowded areas. (VP)

30 April 2022
April 30, 2022

WAR IN UKRAINE – Peace talks with Russia risk failing, Ukraine has warned, after Russian troops continued to bomb positions on the Donbas frontline. Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelensky, explained the people are furious with the discovery of war crimes and atrocities committed by the Russian army. Over 1,000 civilians were found dead after the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Kyiv oblast, many of whom appear to have been summarily executed. They add to the thousands of civilians killed in Russian shelling targeting civilian objectives, including homes, hospitals, schools and cultural centers. In other news, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, said peace negotiations continue, although with great difficulty. Mariupol, a city devastated by the war, lies mostly in ruins, while the situation is desperate for the few fighters and civilians who are trapped in the Azovstal steelworks, the last bastion of Ukrainian resistance in the city. The Russian army continues its attacks along the eastern frontline, but Ukrainian forces are fighting back and succeed in repelling most of the attacks.

REFUGEES – The number of Ukrainian refugees who entered Romania went down on Friday by 2.6% compared to the previous day, the Border Police Inspectorate announced on Saturday. According to an official news release, on April 29, over the course of 24 hours, some 96 thousand people entered Romania through all border crossing points, of whom some 8 thousand were Ukrainian citizens. 4,651 Ukrainians entered Romania through the Ukrainian border and another 1,731 through the Moldovan border. Since the start of the war in neighboring Ukraine, a total of 818 thousand Ukrainian citizens entered Romania, most of whom were en route to other Western countries.

FERRY CROSSING – A new ferry crossing checkpoint will be opened on the Giurgiu-Ruse border following an agreement signed by Romania and Bulgaria. According to the document, the ferry checkpoint will remain open for passengers and vehicles with a maximum authorized mass of 40 tons, and is expected to become operational starting this autumn. The agreement was signed in Bucharest on Friday, during the visit of Buglarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov. The Bulgarian official met with his counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă, as well as with president Klaus Iohannis. Attending Romanian-Bulgarian talks was also EU Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, who said Brussels is ready to support joint Romanian-Bulgarian projects. The EU official highlighted the importance of the Danube River for river traffic in Europe, saying its potential can be further tapped into. Apart from joint transport projects, the two delegations also tackled the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism and the two countries Schengen Accession.

CYBER ATTACKS – A wave of cyber-attacks hit Romania on Friday and Saturday. The websites of the government, the National Cyber Security Directorate, the Defense Ministry, the Border Police, the National Rail Company and certain commercial banks were taken down. The attack was claimed by the pro-Russian hacker network Killnet, in response to Romanias support actions for Ukraine. Killnet hackers this month also attacked institutions in Estonia, Poland, the Czech Republic, the United States, as well as NATO websites. Experts say this was a DDoS attack, which is a malicious attempt to flood a network or an online service with HTTP requests, thus rendering them unavailable to their users.

ENERGY – Average electricity prices for household users at EU level went up significantly in the second half of 2021, compared to the same period of 2020. Romania was one of the countries with the highest price hikes in the national currency, the Eurostat reports. According to the European Statistics Office, electricity prices went up across the European bloc, with the exception of Slovakia and Hungary, where prices were regulated. The highest increase, of nearly 50%, was reported in Estonia and Sweden. Other states that reported major increases in electricity prices were Cyprus and Latvia, between 30% and 40%. Romania, alongside Ireland, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Belgium, increased electricity prices by as much as 20%. The lowest electricity prices were signaled in Hungary, Bulgaria and Croatia, while the highest were in Denmark, Germany and Belgium. Last year, household users in the EU paid more for natural gas as well, Bulgaria, Greece and Estonia reporting the biggest increases, while natural gas prices went down only in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Portugal.

MAY DAY – The summer season official started on Saturday, when hotels and guesthouses opened their doors to the public. Accommodation units on the Romanian Black Sea coast are booked at 80% capacity, hotel owners expecting some 30,000 tourists to arrive in order to celebrate May 1, the International Labor Day. Costinești and Mamaia Nord are hosting music festivals which are expected to bring in a large number of young people. Authorities have deployed additional security forces to ensure public order is observed in crowded areas.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep is today playing Paula Badosa of Spain, world no. 2, in the Mutua Madrid Open, totaling some 6.5 million USD in total prizes. On Thursday, Simona Halep ousted Shuai Zhang of China, 6-2, 6-3. Halep won the Madrid Open in 2016 and 2017 and played the final in 2019. (VP)

30 April 2022
April 29, 2022 UPDATE

VISIT – President Klaus Iohannis on Friday met with Bulgarian Prime Minister Kirill Petkov, who paid a state visit to Romania. Talks focused on ways to improve the bilateral relation, the security developments generated by the Russian aggression in Ukraine and support for Ukraine, energy security, coordinating at regional and European level, also ahead of the NATO summit in Madrid. As regards economic cooperation, two-way trade reported significant growth in recent years, Romania being Bulgaria’s second-largest trade partner at European Union level. Previously, the Bulgarian official met with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. The two also attended the ceremony marking the signing of the agreement for the opening of a ferry crossing on the Giurgiu-Ruse border. Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said Bulgaria and Romania’s accession to the Schengen Area remains a key priority for the two countries, adding that the European future of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia is equally a top priority.

PARLIAMENT – The Speaker of Romania’s Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, announced meetings in the forthcoming period between the leaders of the parliaments of Romania and the neighboring Republic of Moldova. A meeting may take place in Iaşi (northeastern Romania), near the Moldovan border, he added.

WAR IN UKRAINE – Ukrainian defense forces have taken special measures to strengthen security and protection on the border with the Republic of Moldova, more specifically alongside the border with the separatist region of Transnistria, the spokesman of the Ukrainian National Border Police announced. The Ukrainian official said the border checkpoints on the Moldovan border, as well as those on the border with Belarus and Russia, remain closed, as per the decision of Kyiv authorities. Meanwhile, fighting continues on the ground, with Russia stepping up its attacks in an attempt to gain full control over the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine, and to create a land corridor linking the two regions to Crimea, the Ukrainian General Staff reports. Moreover, the Russian army continues to block the Ukrainian troops in the port-city of Mariupol, who are trapped in the Azovstal steelworks. Moscow has also increased the number of drones dispatched to the Odessa Oblast in order to carry out air reconnaissance missions. Local officials say the Russians are conducting special psychological warfare operations in the area, trying to spread panic among the civilian population by promoting fake news and disinformation.

VETERANS DAY – Ceremonies were held on Friday in Romania and abroad marking Veterans Day. In Bucharest, the authorities paid floral tributes to the Heroes’ Monument, in a ceremony attended by Defense Minister, Vasile Dîncu, and the Chief of General Staff, General Daniel Petrescu. April 29 is a day of thanksgiving, of sacrifice and provides us with the opportunity of celebrating our war veterans, the Defense Minister said. In turn, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă thanked war veterans for everything they have done for Romania and the Romanian people. He also referred to the conflict in Ukraine, pointing out that no one imagined that, seven decades after the end of WWII, peace in Europe would be threatened again.

EUROPAVOX – The French Institute in Bucharest, jointly with Europavox, organises a series of round tables, panel discussions and workshops entitled What’s Next for European Music on May 4 and 5. The participants will look at the music sector after the pandemic, opportunities in a new European framework, current financing opportunities in the EU, the European culture in solidarity with Ukraine, and digital communication in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. The debates will be held in English. During the same period, artists from 6 European countries will perform in Bucharest as part of the first Europavox Festival edition held in Romania.

MAY DAY – The summer season officially begins this weekend in Romania. Hotel owners expect nearly 30,000 tourists to spend May Day on the Black Sea coast. Data centralized by a tour operator indicates that over 100 hospitality units are ready to receive their guests, with the resorts of Mamaia and Costineşti in the highest demand. (AMP & VP)

29 April 2022
Romanians and the May 1st mini-holiday

Analysts note that whereas in many countries of the world, International Labour Day is an excellent opportunity for people to demand better working conditions and pay rises, in Romania, May Day is celebrated through trips, hiking or parties. As early as on Friday afternoon, when the May Day mini-holiday started, tens of thousands of tourists, Romanians in particular, but also foreigners, simply stormed resorts in the Carpathian Mountains, on the Black Sea coast or in the Danube Delta.

Some 80,000 people chose the seacoast, mostly Mamaia resort, which some describe as a low cost Ibiza and where night clubs, noisy music and drinking in the waves were the main forms of entertainment. Nearly 10,000 tourists went to the Danube Delta; taking advantage of the fine weather, they explored that unique area in Europe included in the UNESCO heritage. Tourists went by boat throughout the reserve, sailing even along canals that are commonly clogged because now, the Danubes flow is higher than usual.

Tourists who want to visit the Delta now will find it easier to get there because more ship rides have been introduced according to the summer schedule of the public maritime transport. In the Southern Carpathian Mountains, more precisely in the Prahova Valley, the resort of Sinaia was the most crowded place, the Peles and Pelisor Royal Castles being its main attractions.

Whether they chose to go on holiday or stay at home, for most Romanians the barbecue in the open was the centerpiece of their May Day holiday. “Micii” or “mititeii”, a symbol of Romanian cuisine, were as usual in great demand; they are a traditional dish of grilled ground meat rolls made of a mixture of pork and beef or beef and mutton and spices. According to the estimates of meat producers, Romanians grilled over 30 million “mici”, by nearly 15% more than last year. In many places, the hotels and guest houses were almost 100% booked, which was a success for tour operators.

Macro-statistics however are less festive. According to a survey conducted by the Competitiveness Initiative NGO, 2.24 billion Euro worth of revenues are reported in tourism in Romania, but Romanians spend 3.12 billion Euro on tourist services abroad. The authors of the study, coordinated by a doctor of economics and former opposition politician, say that “over the last year tourism has increased its negative balance twice and a half, a balance which fuels the deficit of Romanias balance of foreign payments.

Nearly 200,000 employees and 1.3% of the countrys GDP depend on that economic sector.” They also incriminate the non-existent promotion of Romania as a tourist destination, though Romania has a relevant ministry in Bucharest. The data of the National Statistics Institute made public in early April show however that the number of tourists in accommodation units in Romania in the first two months of 2018 went up by 6.7% as compared to the same period in 2017, while the number of tourists staying overnight increased by 6.4%. (translated by Ana Maria Palcu)

2 May 2018
May 1, 2017 UPDATE

MAY DAY — Over 80 countries on Monday celebrated May Day, also known as the International Workers’ Day set up in 1889 to commemorate the Heymarket affair in Chicago. In Romania, the communist regime had twisted the holiday to serve as propaganda. Currently, May Day is a public holiday marking the beginning of the summer season. Over 40,000 tourists visited the Romanian Black Seacoast, especially the resorts of Mamaia and Vama Veche, while some 20,000 tourists chose mountain resorts as their holiday destinations.

AIR POLICING — Over May 1 — August 31 a squadron of the Royal Air Force will be deployed to the Mihail Kogalniceanu military airbase in eastern Romania, where it will carry out air policing missions jointly with the Romanian Air Force, the Romanian Defense Ministry has announced. The squadron consists of 150 military, using Typhoon fighter jets for the first time in Romania. The British fighters will be supported by MiG-21 LanceR jets. Typhoon is one the world’s fastest aircraft, fitted with anti-air radars. Deploying RAF jets to Romania is part of NATO’s action plan to secure operational capability on the Alliance’s eastern, northern and southern flanks. The joint air policing missions will contribute to developing the reaction and deterrence capacity and to consolidating interoperability between Romanian and British air forces.

MACRON — The European Union must reform itself to avoid France potentially leaving the European community, French pro-European presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron has said. Macron is currently favourite to win in the second round of the presidential race which will be held this Sunday. His opponent is National Front representative Marine Le Pen. During the election campaign I have constantly advocated European ideas and policies, because these are very important things for the French people and for our country’s role in the context of globalization, but the dysfunctionality of the Union is no longer sustainable, Macron went on to say. Marine Le Pen on the other hand has overtly expressed her Eurosceptic beliefs during the campaign, promising to stage a referendum on France’s EU membership.

STUDY — The Romanian economy is facing a severe labour market crisis, with the number of employees and the degree of qualification reporting a huge drop in recent years, which might actually worsen in the future. This is the main conclusion of a study made public on Monday by KeysFin financial consultancy agency. According to the research, the main cause is the exodus of Romanians towards the West, particularly after Romania joined the EU in 2007. On the other hand, the number of job vacancies has gone up since 2009, from 39,000 to 60,000 in 2016, the study also shows.

SYRIA — A UN task force charged with identifying people who committed atrocities in Syria is due to start its activity soon, as a first stage in apprehending war criminals. The announcement was made on Monday by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein. The setup of the task force, adopted at the UN General Assembly in December, was condemned by the Bashar al-Assad regime as an unacceptable involvement in the country’s domestic affairs. Over 320,000 people were have been killed since conflict broke out in 2011.

EUROVISION — Romania’s representatives at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest, Alex Florea and Ilinca Bancila have arrived in Kiev, playing host to this year’s edition. The two will be performing the song “Yodel it!” in the second semi-final, on May 11. The big final is scheduled for May 13. Romania’s best performances in the Eurovision are second place in 2005, with a song performed by Luminita Anghel and Sistem, third place in 2010 grabbed by the duo Paula Seling and Ovi and fourth place in 2006, a feat accomplished by Mihai Traistariu. (Translated by V. Palcu)

1 May 2017
May 1, 2017

MAY DAY — Over 80 countries on Monday celebrated May Day, also known as the International Workers’ Day set up in 1889 to commemorate the Heymarket affair in Chicago. In Romania, the communist regime had twisted the holiday to serve as propaganda. Currently, May Day is a public holiday marking the beginning of the summer season. Over 40,000 tourists visited the Romanian Black Seacoast, especially the resorts of Mamaia and Vama Veche, while some 20,000 tourists chose mountain resorts as their holiday destinations.

AIR POLICING — Over May 1 — August 31 a squadron of the Royal Air Force will be deployed to the Mihail Kogalniceanu military airbase in eastern Romania, where it will carry out air policing missions jointly with the Romanian Air Force, the Romanian Defense Ministry has announced. The squadron consists of 150 military, using Typhoon fighter jets for the first time in Romania. The British fighters will be supported by MiG-21 LanceR jets. Typhoon is one the world’s fastest aircraft, fitted with anti-air radars. Deploying RAF jets to Romania is part of NATO’s action plan to secure operational capability on the Alliance’s eastern, northern and southern flanks. The joint air policing missions will contribute to developing the reaction and deterrence capacity and to consolidating interoperability between Romanian and British air forces.

MACRON — The European Union must reform itself to avoid France potentially leaving the European community, French pro-European presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron has said. Macron is currently favourite to win in the second round of the presidential race which will be held this Sunday. His opponent is National Front representative Marine Le Pen. During the election campaign I have constantly advocated European ideas and policies, because these are very important things for the French people and for our country’s role in the context of globalization, but the dysfunctionality of the Union is no longer sustainable, Macron went on to say. Marine Le Pen on the other hand has overtly expressed her Eurosceptic beliefs during the campaign, promising to stage a referendum on France’s EU membership.

COLLECTIVE PARDON — A few dozen people on Sunday protested the Government’s decision to pass a law on collective pardon. Protesters say the criminal legislation in Romania should be strengthened. The Chamber of Deputies is this week expected to debate and vote a draft law reducing the sentence of certain inmates due to improper detention conditions. The European Court of Human Rights has decided that detention conditions in Romanian prisons go against the European Convention for Human Rights and has given Romanian authorities 6 months to come up with a plan to solve the issue. The National Penitentiary Authority director Marius Vulpe has warned that collective pardon or house arrest is only a short-term solution to prison overcrowding.

FRONTEX — On April 25 Romanian border police officers on the Aegean Sea saved 38 people, of whom 17 children, traveling on an overcrowded raft about to sink, the Romanian Border Police General Inspectorate has announced. The people were originating from Syria, Iraq and Kuwait. Since their deployment in Greece earlier this year, the Romanian border police working on Coast Guard ships have saved a total of 704 people in danger travelling on small-sized boats in Greek waters as part of individual or concerted FRONTEX efforts.

HANDBALL — The Romanian men’s handball team Potaissa Turda on Sunday qualified to the Challenge Cup finals after defeating Valur Reykjavik of Iceland in the return leg of the semi-finals, played on home turf, 32-23. Potaissa qualified on aggregate after losing 30-22 to Valur in the first leg. In the final, the Romanian team will go up against Sporting Lisbon of Portugal. (Translated by V. Palcu)

1 May 2017